Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41335329›Full record

SynthesisAdvances in therapy2026

Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Tislelizumab in Second-Line Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Systematic Literature Review and Simulated Treatment Comparisons.

Jaffer A Ajani, Kaijun Wang, Georgios F Nikolaidis, JeanPierre Coaquira Castro, Maximiliano Augusto Novis de Figueiredo, Jong-Mu Sun, Konstantinos Soulanis, Anastasios Tasoulas, Lin Zhan

Registry-linked trialAbstract readSystematic ReviewComparative Study
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Advances in therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03430843 (A Randomized, Controlled, Open-label, Global Phase 3 Study Comparing the Efficacy of the Anti-PD-1 Antibody Tislelizumab), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03430843 phase3completednot on this map

A Randomized, Controlled, Open-label, Global Phase 3 Study Comparing the Efficacy of the Anti-PD-1 Antibody Tislelizumab (BGB-A317) Versus Chemotherapy as Second Line Treatment in Patients With Advanced Unresectable/Metastatic Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

TypeinterventionalSponsorBeiGeneRan2018 to 2022Enrolled512ConditionsEsophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC)ArmsTislelizumab, Paclitaxel, Docetaxel, Irinotecan
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jaffer A AjaniDivision of Cancer Medicine, Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. jajani@mdanderson.org.ORCID 0000-0001-9946-0629
Kaijun WangBeOne Medicines, Ltd., San Carlos, CA, USA.ORCID 0009-0005-0537-978X
Georgios F NikolaidisCentre of Excellence in Evidence Synthesis, IQVIA Ltd, Methods and Evidence Generation, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9008-6896
JeanPierre Coaquira CastroBeOne Medicines, Ltd., San Carlos, CA, USA.ORCID 0009-0001-7063-2420
Maximiliano Augusto Novis de FigueiredoDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil.
Jong-Mu SunDivision of Hem/Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.ORCID 0000-0003-1800-5881
Konstantinos SoulanisCentre of Excellence in Evidence Synthesis, IQVIA Ltd, Methods and Evidence Generation, Athens, Greece.
Anastasios TasoulasCentre of Excellence in Evidence Synthesis, IQVIA Ltd, Methods and Evidence Generation, Athens, Greece.ORCID 0009-0004-3709-639X
Lin ZhanBeOne Medicines, Ltd., San Carlos, CA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionEsophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) accounts for approximately 90% of all esophageal cancer cases and is associated with poor prognosis. However, recent advancements have transformed the treatment landscape. Tislelizumab, a humanized immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody, was developed to overcome resistance mechanisms by minimizing binding to FcγR on macrophages. The RATIONALE-302 clinical trial showed statistically significant survival benefits of tislelizumab over chemotherapy in second-line ESCC highlighting the necessity of evaluating comparative efficacy with existing treatments. This study aimed to identify trials evaluating anti-PD-1 therapies for second-line ESCC and indirectly estimate the relative efficacy of tislelizumab versus existing anti-PD-1 therapies.

methodsA systematic literature review (SLR) was originally conducted in 2021 then updated in 2022 and 2023. A feasibility assessment (FA) was undertaken to evaluate required assumptions for indirect treatment comparisons (ITCs) and determined that anchored simulated treatment comparisons (STCs) were the most appropriate methodology. Assessed outcomes included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). Analyses were conducted in the hazard ratio scale for OS and PFS and in the odds ratio scale for TRAEs, whilst uncertainty was expressed in 95% confidence intervals.

resultsThe SLR identified 13 studies, six of which evaluated immunotherapies and were included in the FA. All studies were deemed similar and considered in the ITC, except for RAMONA, which differed substantially in study design, inclusion criteria, and patient characteristics. Indirect estimates obtained from the STCs were not statistically significant, except for the comparison of TRAEs with tislelizumab versus camrelizumab, where tislelizumab was more favorable.

conclusionsTislelizumab appears comparable to existing anti-PD-1 therapies (nivolumab, pembrolizumab, camrelizumab, and sintilimab) in OS, PFS, and TRAEs of grade ≥ 3 for patients receiving second-line treatment for ESCC with a potentially more favorable TRAE grade ≥ 3 profile than camrelizumab that requires confirmation.

trial registrationNCT03430843.

Indexed as

Antibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedEsophageal NeoplasmsEsophageal Squamous Cell CarcinomaImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsHumansTreatment OutcomeAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedImmune Checkpoint InhibitorstislelizumabAnti-PD-1Comparative efficacy and safetyEsophageal cancerPopulation adjustmentSimulated treatment comparisonsTislelizumab

Identifiers

PMID41335329
PMCPMC12909357

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.